South Delhi residents 'to be charged' to get rid of their waste

Delhiites will soon have to pay to get rid of waste they generate in their households and offices.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is set to impose waste collection charge from residents with the two other civic agencies - East and North Delhi corporations - expected to follow suit soon.

The South corporation will begin with bulk generators like hospitals, hotels and restaurants and big institutions like schools and offices within its jurisdiction.

Charge for garbage: The civic agency has invited a global tender for hiring a private agency that will be
responsible for trash collection in south Delhi

This will then be followed by residential areas.

The civic agency is looking at it as a source of revenue generation.

And that is not all.

The agency also plans to penalise hospitals if they do not segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste at source.

Similarly, it will be made mandatory for hotels and restaurants to segregate dry and wet waste.

The decision to charge fee for waste collection is part of the amendment in sanitation by-laws which was pending clearance from Delhi government.

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"The South Delhi Corporation is in the process of hiring agencies for waste collection in each of the four administrative zones. Once hired, we will charge a fixed sum from bulk garbage generators like hospitals, hotels and restaurants. Later, households will also be charged for door-to-door waste collection," said Manish Gupta, South Delhi Municipal Commissioner.

There are more than 13 lakh households with close to 65 lakh people living in areas under the jurisdiction of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

According to officials, daily garbage generation in SDMC is 4,238 metric tonnes currently, which is projected to increase by 120 metric tonnes per year.

The agency has invited a global tender for hiring a private agency that will be responsible for garbage collection, segregation of dry and wet waste and transportation to landfill sites or waste management plants.

"We have received six bids, including one from a Spanish firm. Evaluation of bids is underway. The contract is likely to be awarded by October and the actual work will commence from January," Gupta said.

Subhash Arya, Leader of House in South Delhi Municipal Corporation, said the sanitation by-laws amended by the civic body is pending before the Delhi government. The amendment proposes strict penalty for various sanitationrelated offences.

"The amount of penalty ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000. Spitting or littering in public will attract a penalty of Rs 500. A similar penalty will be imposed on owners of pets if their pets are found defecating in public place," Arya said.

As per the proposal, nonsegregation of waste by bulk generators, i.e. hospitals and hotels, would attract a heftier penalty that may go up to Rs 10,000.

"Through the amendment, it is not only the users who will be charged, private agency will also be penalised for lack of sanitation in their respective areas," Commissioner Gupta said.